Happy almost summer readers! First of all, I (Molly) hope you are all doing well in this unprecedented time. Have you been keeping busy? It’s totally OK if you’re lounging around on your couch or bed all day. I mean, hey, we’re in the middle of a pandemic. It’s time to live your best life! (And staying in bed eating ice cream sounds like a great life to me!) As for me, I’ve been finishing up work, mentally preparing myself for job applications, reading, and writing. I wanted to take a break from my daily grind to introduce you to something that has kept me sane and entertained during quarantine: Beacon Book Box, a YA book subscription box company.
Beacon Book Box
Have you heard of book subscription boxes? Basically how they work is you can sign up for a subscription and you receive a box every month full of bookish goodies and a new book release for that month. There are plenty of book subscription boxes out there, but my favorite is Beacon Book Box.
Monthly Boxes
Beacon Book Box sends out a box between the 11th and 15th of every month. You can sign up for a 1, 3, 6, or 12 month subscription or a one-time purchase. The boxes come with a brand new YA release for that month, always signed by the author. You will also find 3-5 bookish goodies inspired by different YA books. This year (2020), Beacon has a monthly collectible ornament in each box, and a quarterly collectible that comes every 3rd month: enamel mugs inspired by the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J Maas. They also send out a book sleeve every even month with a fun pattern to match the month, season, or holiday.
Special Edition Boxes
In addition to their monthly boxes, Beacon Book Box also creates special edition boxes. These boxes are themed around a specific book or theme for a highly popular book or series. My very first Beacon Book Box was actually a special edition box – their box for Holly Black’s The Wicked King! These boxes are more expensive than the monthly subscription boxes and are not included in the subscription (so they need to be purchased separately). The increased price is because these boxes are absolutely stuffed full of wonderful items (always including a large fuzzy blanket!). Beacon Book Box is actually very well known for their special edition boxes, and there’s a great reason for that! This company definitely goes above and beyond to make sure these special edition boxes really are special.
Why Beacon Book Box?
There are so many book subscription boxes out there it’s hard to choose which one to subscribe to. I’ve tried a few different boxes, and while I’ve almost always enjoyed my experience, Beacon Book Box is by far my favorite. Why? Because they aren’t just a book subscription company: they are a family and a community.
Beacon Book Box was founded by Cameron Allen a little over two years ago when he was freshman in high school. Since then it has remained a family business. The family packs everything themselves in “the Beacon Bunker,” prints the labels, and ships it all via USPS. They are the ones who answer everyone’s questions. “Papa Beacon” (Cameron’s dad, Mike) has answered emails in the middle of the night for international customers.
Beacon Book Box’s customer service is top notch. I’ve received email responses from them within minutes. They are always upfront about any delays or issues. They’ve even included or changed items they include in their boxes based on customer feedback. Communication is a key the Beacons have mastered.
What else? In addition to being a family-run business, Beacon Book Box is a family company. When you subscribe, you join the family. Beacon Book Box has a live every Sunday evening (5pm EST) on their Instagram page, featuring Cameron, Papa Beacon, and Mama Beacon, and usually at least one of their 5 Cocker Spaniels. It’s always unscripted, and while their goal is to give weekly updates and answer any questions, it’s also just like hanging out with friends and family on a Sunday night. It’s a bit chaotic, but I always make it a priority to tune in!
Beacon Book Box has included an additional live on Thursday nights during the quarantine to help keep everyone entertained. Thursdays are trivia nights! They offer fantastic prizes for the top 3 trivia players every week. It’s so fun, and I highly recommend tuning in.
Fun Fact: Beacon Book Box is based in Michigan, and since I’m from Ohio and we Ohioans can’t stand That-State-Up-North, you know I have to really like them if I’m recommending them!
Join the Beacon Family
Want to join the Beacon Family or learn more? Click here to visit their website! You can also follow them on Instagram, where they post updates every night. They are currently sold out of June boxes, but keep an eye out for when July boxes go on sale!
Thank you for this detailed and engaging review of Beacon Book Box! It’s wonderful to hear how much joy and connection this subscription box brings, especially during these challenging times. I love how the company feels like a community, with such personal touches from the Allen family. The trivia nights and live updates sound like a lot of fun! I’m definitely interested in checking them out, especially with the special edition boxes and unique bookish goodies. Thanks again for sharing your experience—it’s made me even more excited to explore Beacon Book Box!